At a glance
Craig Corbell, owner of the Lincoln and friend of Alfred State, is sponsoring the college’s team, which consists of Automotive Trades Assistant Professor James Fleischman, and heavy equipment: truck and diesel technician students Jacob Macken, of Alden, and Ryan Balcerzak, of Elma
Two Alfred State students and a faculty member will depart for Ventura Beach, CA, Friday to partake in the seven-day Everyone Loves Kids (ELK) Charity Challenge.
Held May 16-23, the event is an interactive adventure that pits 50 philanthropic vehicle enthusiasts against one another in a journey to give back to America’s children, according to www.elkcharitychallenge.org. Each day, participants will navigate through numerous challenges and locations that test their dedication, determination, and preparation.
Points are earned by completing daily missions based on historical significance, local points of interest, and more. A $10,000 daily contribution is made to the children’s charity of the winning squad.
A variety of vehicles will be competing in the challenge, from high-end models such as Ferraris and McLarens, to classics such as Cords and Dusenbergers, to more unique vehicles, including the “Back to the Future” DeLorean time machine.
Alfred State’s car is a 1966 Lincoln Continental once owned by American diplomat and political scientist Henry Kissinger. Craig Corbell, owner of the Lincoln and friend of Alfred State, is sponsoring the college’s team, which consists of Automotive Trades Assistant Professor James Fleischman, and heavy equipment: truck and diesel technician students Jacob Macken, of Alden, and Ryan Balcerzak, of Elma.
Macken said he feels very excited and privileged to be competing in the ELK Challenge.
“Hopefully, we’ll represent Alfred State in a good way and get a win out of it, but it’s all about raising money and helping out a charity,” he said.
Balcerzak said he is also very excited about the challenge, especially the traveling aspect.
“I’ve never been out of the state very far, let alone to California,” he said. “I’m very grateful to go and it’s for a good cause.”
Roughly 25 to 30 students from a variety of majors worked on the car, according to Fleischman, who said their efforts included rebuilding the engine, painting, and performing an alignment.
“The cool part is that it’s a good applied learning project because everything the students are learning in class is everything that we worked on for the car,” he said.
Fleischman said competing in the ELK Challenge is an honor and noted he was surprised that Corbell decided to sponsor the Alfred State team.
“It’s not often that somebody will foot the bill for something like this and send you across the country to be in an event,” he said. “I just want to thank everyone who was involved and helped pull this off.”